How does it feel for a fan when someone you’ve cheered for in epic battles inside the Octagon, being led into a courtroom to face prison time? That’s the heartbreaking reality for fans of Cain Velasquez. The former UFC heavyweight champion, known for his grit and relentless fighting style, found himself on the wrong side of the law in 2022 after taking justice into his own hands. His actions, fueled by a father’s instinct to protect his child’s honor, turned into a legal nightmare. On March 24, 2025, the combat sports community was shaken to its core as Cain Velasquez, a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, was sentenced to five years in prison.

The verdict was handed down by Judge Arthur Bocanegra at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose. Velasquez had previously spent about eight to nine months behind bars before being granted conditional bail in November 2022—a release that came at the steep cost of $1 million. But freedom was far from complete. The former champion was placed under strict house arrest, confined to his home with an ankle monitor ensuring he couldn’t set foot beyond the property. Judge Bocanegra then sentenced the heavyweight fighter to 5 years in jail, but credited him with 1283 days. This means that Velasquez would have to stay in prison for around 542 days. According to the terms of his sentence, Cain Velasquez will become eligible for parole in March 2026. However, that timeline isn’t set in stone. Depending on his conduct behind bars, the former UFC heavyweight champion could shave off some of his sentence. 

However, his longtime coach, Javier Mendez, thinks he should not have served anytime at all. MMA Fighting took to their Instagram account to share a conversation the coach had with Canal Encarda. During the conversation, Mendez said, “They got it wrong. He shouldn’t have got any time. Yeah, there were things he did that were wrong, but when a father is out protecting his children, we go crazy, and he lost his head. They did a test on him, it’s called an  EEG (electroencephalogram), which tests your brain function, and they found that he had zero impulsivity and zero control.” This is not the first time that the former UFC champion has gotten support from fellow fighters. ‘The Eagle’ took to Instagram and shared a picture of himself with Velasquez with a caption which read, “Stay Strong Lion.”

Former dual-champion Daniel Cormier also came out in support of the former champ and shared a picture with him on Instagram. ‘DC’ wrote, “Warrior, Cain, you are the man. That won’t ever change. You’ll approach this like you’ve done every step of your life. See you soon, champ.” But it seems the fans online have a completely different take on the whole matter. While they do agree that the reaction of Velasquez was right, but at the end of the day, he took the law into his own hands.

Fans remind legendary coach why Cain Velasquez needs to serve time in jail

 Velasquez was convicted following a dramatic 11-mile high-speed chase. He pursued a vehicle carrying Harry Goularte, the man accused of sexually abusing Velasquez’s young son at a daycare operated by Goularte’s mother. The incident, fueled by rage and a desperate need for justice, quickly spiraled into a criminal case of its own. Velasquez fired several rounds from a handgun at the car. However, it was Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender, who ended up being shot while sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. This is what the fans pointed out when they took to the comments section. 

One of the users showed full support to the former UFC champion. However, he did remind everyone that it was a crime he committed and commented, “I’ll always support Cain, but it is what it is, he shot the wrong guy, and that’s about it. Had he shot the actual dude? Free our boy, but we can’t just pretend he didn’t commit a HEFTY crime while taking vengeance.” While supporting your hero is never a bad thing but one user also tried to give the reason as to why ‘Cardio Cain’ needs to serve some time. He also commented, “Yeah, no. Cain shot the wrong person. He’s lucky he isn’t doing hard time.” 

One user came out in support of the 42-year-old fighter. He pointed out how the former fighter reacted in the same way a father would have done and commented, “As any father should and would’ve. Free Cain.”  One user also pointed out how things could have gone a lot differently for the fighter. However, he is lucky to get such a sentence and commented, “Cain got a great sentence for two counts of attempted murder, it’s a tragic situation, but it really did turn out about as well as it realistically could have.” 

Velasquez tried to protect his son just like any father would do. However, at the end of the day, he took the law into his hands and should have used an alternate way, felt one user and commented, “He committed a crime, as good his intentions was, is still a crime” One user did come out and show his support for ‘Cardio Cane’ just like many people have been doing. He commented, “Free Cain, man.” The former champion did come out and accept the mistake he had made. He also agreed to the fact that this was not the way to deal with the situation. One fan did remind the world about it and commented, “Cain already took full responsibility. Put this shit to rest, FFS.” 

The MMA world is currently divided by the whole situation. While some want the former UFC champion to be released early, others want him to serve the whole sentence. What do you think is the right solution for the unusual situation Velasquez is in at the moment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.